


Did I Say That Out Loud?

by WishingOnWhishaw



Category: British Actor RPF, British Comedy RPF, Would I Lie To You? RPF
Genre: Alcohol, Crushes, First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Party
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 21:47:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6026337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WishingOnWhishaw/pseuds/WishingOnWhishaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lee has tried to be subtle about his crush on David, but since it hasn't worked, he decides on blatant confessions instead. Their whole relationship changes from there. They now have to deal with their feelings, their jobs and their fans, and figure out how they all fit together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Did I Say That Out Loud?

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, what's this? This is me being complete, shameless trash, as usual. This pairing doesn't get nearly enough love, so I thought I'd write something for them. I suck at summaries, but this is basically just gonna be the story of their relationship and how it progresses.  
> This is set in a universe with no wives or children, because I don't condone cheating, and whilst I love any and all things poly, that didn't fit into my narrative. So they're both single and child-free at the start of this!
> 
> Title is from the amazing song of the same name by Barenaked Ladies, which is basically my soundtrack for this fic. Check it out, it's rad!
> 
> All mistakes are my own, feedback and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!!

David was anything but subtle. Not that he was aware of it, of course, but Lee didn’t miss the way his co-worker looked at him from across the room, the way he laughed wholeheartedly at nobody but Lee, that laugh that had him clapping his hands together. The way his eyes light up and his mouth quirks into a fond grin whenever Lee recounts some ridiculous story. It was the least obvious look of adoration that Lee had ever seen in his life, and David had no idea that he did it. Lee knew David was oblivious to it, because he knows David, and knows that if he was conscious of the expression then he would do his best to keep it from his face, to not make a fool of himself. To not look like he actually likes Lee.  
  
By contrast, Lee was well aware of the way David looks at him, and the way he himself sometimes looked at David. Lee doesn’t care about subtlety or shame, doesn’t see any reason why he should pretend that he doesn’t have a huge soft spot for the man he works with. In fact, David’s denial of his own feelings frustrates Lee to no end. It was clear to anyone with basic observation skills that David liked him, but David still did his best to seem indifferent, reluctant to even label the relationship between him and Lee as one of friendship. Lee had initially wondered if this hesitancy was born of worry, thought maybe David in his awkward way presumed that Lee wouldn’t reciprocate whatever feelings David had. So in response, Lee’s own heart was increasingly worn on his sleeve, with the later addition of a flashing neon sign which read: ‘I fancy you!’ pointing to it. Still, his colleague’s attitude remained, so maybe it wasn’t the fear of rejection holding him back. Surely even someone as oblivious as David couldn’t miss Lee’s blatant flirting?  
  


* * *

  
The BBC Christmas party was neither at Christmas, nor was it a great party. The former being due to Christmas shoots and breaks which left no time for a get-together, and the latter because of the BBC’s definition of a party. The after party was usually great, but the actual event was, in Lee’s opinion, a little lacklustre. Still, every year he went to what was essentially a not-so-formal dinner with expensive drinks that Lee himself didn’t have to pay for. There were worse ways to spend his time, and really, whilst the function itself could be improved on, the night as a whole wasn’t awful. And it certainly wasn’t something that he had expected David Mitchell to attend.  
  
Despite Lee’s personal opinions on the glorified dinner party, it was always a popular event, with lots of big name celebrities in attendance. The list of these celebrities, however, did not usually involve David, so seeing him there was a surprise to say the least. He wasn’t shocked by the fact his co-worker had been invited—after all he was pretty famous—but rather by the fact David had accepted the invite and actually turned up.  
  
They were seated near to one another; not close enough to talk comfortably over the other people around them, but close enough that both Lee and David could sneak occasional glances at one another throughout the course of the night. Lee would’ve liked to spend his meal a little closer to David, perhaps sat beside him, so Lee could crack a few jokes and watch David’s face light up in that way it so often did when Lee went out of his way to make him laugh. Maybe next year, Lee thought.  
  
After the desert plates were taken away, people started to move around a little more. A few stayed for post-dinner drinks at the venue, whilst Lee noticed other groups saying their goodbyes and heading off together, presumably to a place more enjoyable in which to spend the rest of the night. Lee had only had one glass of wine with his food, and he wasn’t particularly keen on the idea of having more. He glanced to David, found the man still in his seat, shaking hands with someone Lee recognised but couldn’t quite name.   
  
The nameless man moved away after saying his goodbyes, and yet David didn’t move, simply took another sip of his own and looked about. He seemed rather tense, and Lee had thought as soon as he’d seen David here in the first place that he was a little out of his depths. He knew David, was close enough to him to have learned how much he disliked parties, especially when people would be paying attention to him. There was no way he could hide in this environment, and even now people would come over and try to make small talk, asking him how his holidays were, if he was having a good night, and David looked physically uncomfortable with it all.   
  
After an older woman left David alone and the false smile fell from his face, Lee finally made his move, beginning phase one of his ‘Rescue David Mitchell’ operation.  He got up from his seat, pushing his way towards his co-worker in a way that made him look slightly rushed, and (thankfully) nobody bothered him on his short journey.  
  
“Fancy seeing you here,” Lee greeted as he came up behind David, sitting himself down besides the other man without waiting for an invitation to do so.  
  
“I do work for the same company as you, you know,” came David’s reply, and Lee didn’t miss the relief on David’s face as he realised who was joining him now, knowing he didn’t have to keep up his act of politeness. “The same show, even. Surely you noticed that?” Lee rolled his eyes.  
  
“I mean _here,_ as in, at a party. Not really your thing, is it? And you’ve never been before.”  
  
“How would you know I’ve never been?” Challenged David.  
  
“Because I have,” Lee said, smirking. “And I’d have seen you there, but you weren’t, because you don’t like parties.”  
  
“This isn’t much of a party,” muttered David dryly.   
  
“I’ll agree with you there. I could’ve told you that before you made the effort to leave your house, if you’d actually bothered telling me you planned to come in the first place.”  
  
“I’ll make sure to text you and gain your approval whenever I intend to go anywhere from now on,” David joked, leaving Lee grinning at him. This was the most enjoyment either of them had had so far tonight.   
  
“This is the only time I’d advise you against it,” Lee warned. “If you’re looking for someone to make you stay indoors without feeling guilty about it, then you’re out of luck.”  
  
“What makes you think I would feel guilty about that in the first place?”  
  
“Good point, you don’t care about being an antisocial hermit. Which brings me back to my first point: what are you doing here?”  
  
“I don’t know, maybe I decided to break a habit and try going out for a change.”  
  
“Well, you picked the worst event for it.”  
  
“I can see that now, thanks,” David quipped. “Is that why everyone’s leaving?”  
  
“They’re going to somewhere decent, yeah,” Lee confirmed.  
  
“And you’re not going with them?”  
  
“Well, I mean, I’m probably gonna go somewhere. You can come if you’d like,” he offered, as casually as he could. “If you’re still in the mood to party.”  
  
“If you’re planning on spending the rest of the evening in some nightclub with a bunch of real party animals, I’m afraid I’ll have to decline.”  
  
“I’m only slightly offended that you thought I’d go clubbing anyway, let alone try and convince you. We can just go somewhere together. Would a simple pub be more to your satisfaction, sir?” Lee asked, mocking David’s voice, and David found him grinning despite himself at the impression.  
  
“The pub is fine,” David nodded, and the next thing he knew he was being tugged to his feet by his co-worker.  
  
“Come on then. No reason to stick around here any longer,” he said as David got up and allowed himself to be steered out of the room. He ignored the feeling of Lee’s hand on his forearm, feeling the warmth of the other’s palm even through his clothing. He reminded himself that this was simply for practical reasons, and refused to read any more into it.  
  
Thanks to Lee’s haste to leave, and the fact he was practically dragging David behind him, they got out without stopping for too many goodbyes. When they were out on the cold streets, Lee finally let go of David’s arm, and both of them secretly tried not to miss the contact too much. Lee still led them, only now they walked side-by-side as Lee explained where it was they were going. David didn’t really care where he was taken; he was just happy to be out, and with Lee of all people.   
  
They sat at a table in a quiet corner of The Three Horseshoes, a place Lee was apparently familiar with, and since coming here was his idea, he insisted on getting their drinks. David didn’t object. They talked of work, of what they’d been doing since they last saw each other, new projects coming up and new things in their lives. Before they knew it they were three drinks in, still making idle conversation, talking about nothing important now, with only the occasional chuckle punctuating the pointless chatter. It felt odd, like there was a tension there which neither of them were willing to acknowledge, like they were talking about everything but the thing they should have been talking about. There was a lapse in conversation, the silence between them not awkward, exactly, but Lee knew there was an elephant in the room, and right now it was breathing down his neck, encouraging him to say _something_. After all, he really hadn’t invited David to join him for a drink so he could learn all about the new book he wanted to work on (even if the idea was pretty good). He allowed the courage of his slightly intoxicated state wash over him, forced himself to stay calm and confident as he broached the topic he’d been meaning to bring up for what felt like forever.  
  
“You like me,” Lee stated outright, a smug grin on his face. David paused, studying Lee with his brow furrowed, face beginning to form that displeased scowl which Lee knew was supposed to intimidate him, but only served to encourage whatever he was doing.  
  
“Well of course I like you,” David responded finally, seeming to relax slightly. “We’ve worked together for several years, and at this point, it would be more surprising if I _hadn’t_ developed some kind of positive feelings toward you.”  
  
“That’s not what I meant,” Lee countered, taking another swig from his nearly empty pint before pointing an accusing finger towards David. “And you know it.”  
  
“What do you mean that’s not what you meant?” David replied, incredulous. His irritation only made his rosy cheeks turn darker, and Lee smirked at the promise of one of David’s defensive rants which he always anticipated. “You said that I like you, and I agreed. Now you’re saying that you didn’t mean to insist that I like you, even though that’s exactly what you said.”  
  
“I never denied saying it, David. What I’m telling you is, I used the word ‘like’ very differently to the way you just did.”  
  
“I’m pretty sure there’s only one way you can use the word ‘like’ in this scenario.”  
  
“It’s nice knowing you’re wrong for a change,” Lee teased, watching in glee as he wound David up more and more.   
  
“How am I wrong?” He demanded. “What else could you possibly be implying with the word ‘like’ that is so vastly different to my interpretation?”  
  
“Maybe I’m implying that your feelings for me go a lot deeper than you’ll admit,” Lee dared. David didn’t answer that. Lee waited, wondering if he’d made too bold a move, if he’d read this whole situation in the wrong way, if he had just been projecting his own feelings onto someone else in the hopes that they’d be returned. He kept his gaze on the other man’s face, watched his expressions change, his smile fall away into a frown. The good-natured teasing back and forth had quickly descended into something a lot more serious, and Lee noticed how David tensed at the statement, picked up on the way he narrowed his eyes at him across the table.  
  
“Is this the part where you mock me for having a crush, like some stupid teenager? Because if so, I’d rather leave now before you get to that, so I can try and keep at least a scrap of my dignity,” David intoned bitterly, finally breaking his silence. He was different now, his walls of defence had already gone up, and he was grabbing his coat, ready to leave. Lee rolled his eyes at how predictably dramatic he was being, and any feelings of irritation were dwarfed by ones of a quiet affection.  
  
“Slow down, I’m not going to take the piss.”  
  
“So why bring it up then?” David snapped, showing his emotions despite his promise to himself that he wouldn’t give Lee the satisfaction. He was nervous, scared of ruining whatever this _thing_ was between them, scared of being humiliated and laughed at by someone he cared so much about.   
  
“Maybe I wanted to tell you I had similar feelings,” replied Lee, calmly.  
  
“Oh yes, very funny, Lee,” David scorned. “Embarrass me further by pretending to have feelings for me, just so you can pull the rug out from under my feet and get a good laugh out of my misery. How very mature of you,” he ranted as he got to his feet, pulled his coat from his chair. He really was dramatic, Lee thought fondly. He watched David for a moment, saw him reach for his drink, probably to drain what was left in the glass, and then made his move. Lee’s hand landed on top of David’s own before it even reached the glass, pressing it down onto the table top, an assertive but not overly-forceful pressure which left David able to pull away if he wanted to. Lee’s hands were warm, pleasant, David thought briefly to himself before he shook the thought from his head and scowled at the other man.  
  
“David,” Lee insisted, voice full of patience. He met David’s eyes, all the humour from before gone, his features screaming sincerity.  “I’m not joking.”  
  
“You’re… not?” David queried, still sceptical.  
  
“I’m not,” confirmed Lee.  
  
“Oh,” was all the younger man managed.  
  
“Still want to leave now?”   
  
“No, I… I think I’ll stay here, actually,” he conceded.  
  
“Even if the alternative was going back to my place?” Lee asked, hopefully. This may have been pushing it, he thought, may seem like he was asking for too much too soon. “Just for more drinks,” he added quickly, for clarification. “If we’re going to talk about any of this, I’d like it to be somewhere nicer than here. Somewhere a bit more private.”  
  
“That’s fine,” David assured, smiling to himself at Lee’s own moment of panic. “Yours it is.”  
  


* * *

  
Lee’s flat was cold, and this was the first thing which David noticed upon entering. He was led through the small hallway and told to make himself at home as Lee took both their coats and left, presumably to put them away somewhere. There was a small table lamp—which had apparently been left on whilst Lee was out—in one corner of the living room, giving a soft glow which barely illuminated the space darkened by the black-out curtains covering the window. Lee returned, switching on a bigger lamp which offered David a better view of the room, allowed him to see the small, brown leather couch, the armchair tucked into one corner with its mismatched footstool, the overflowing bookshelf which came as a slight surprise. He’d never thought Lee to be the reading type, but he could picture him now, in this cosy room, curled up and reading quietly to himself.   
  
“You can sit down,” said Lee, interrupting David’s train of thought. “I don’t charge.” David replied with a soft chuckle, taking a seat on the couch. Lee didn’t join him, remained standing and asked: “Can I get you a drink?” Like a good host. “Wine, cider, vodka? I’m sure I’ve got a bottle of scotch here somewhere.”  
  
“I’ll just have whatever you’re having,” David replied with a smile, not really having a preference and also wanting to refrain from troubling Lee too much.  
  
“Two lagers it is,” Lee announced before disappearing into the kitchen and returning a few minutes later with two full glasses which he placed on the coffee table in front of them. Finally he sat down beside David, and the small sofa left no room for personal space, but David found he didn’t mind. He murmured a thank you to Lee and then reached for his drink, unsure of what to say. The whole situation was a bit surreal, if he was honest. He could feel Lee’s eyes on him, almost as if he were waiting for David to say something, for him to make the first move. Fine.  
  
“Are we uh… Going to talk?”  
  
“We could sit here in silence all night if you want,” Lee replied, witty as always, with that huge grin on his face.  
  
“I think the awkward tension would kill me.”  
  
“Better start talking then. I’ve gotten quite fond of you; I don’t want you dead in my living room.”  
  
“How romantic,” David said sarcastically.  
  
“I mean, it’s only our first date, I’m not pulling out all the stops yet,” Lee replied quickly, not even thinking about his words or their implication, and his eyes went wide almost as soon as he’d spoken. David’s heart seemed to stutter at the thought of this being a date, at the possibility of Lee wanting to do this again. He noticed the other man’s horror at his own words, and spoke before Lee could try and take it back.  
  
“So much for making a good first impression. You’re lucky I like you already,” replied David, taking another sip of his drink.  
  
“I wasn’t wrong about that, then?” Lee questioned, serious again now.  
  
“I would’ve been quick enough to tell you if you were wrong. No, you were… Startlingly accurate, actually.”  
  
“I know you,” Lee shrugged, turning to face David properly. “I know what makes you laugh, what you look like when you’re really happy and when you’re pretending to be happy out of politeness. And I’ve gotten pretty good at telling when you’re lying about something, too.”  
  
“You’re not so obvious to read, it would seem,” David stuttered in reply, his cheeks suddenly flushed as he realised how much attention Lee had apparently been paying to him, how blatant his own feelings were.   
  
“You’re kidding, right? I could not have been more obvious if I tried. I’ve been doing everything I could to try and get you to notice me, aside from buying you a dozen red roses and a box of chocolates.”  
  
“What does that mean?”  
  
“It means I’ve been flirting with you for the best part of a year and that I’ve had nothing to show for it until tonight.”  
  
“Flirting?” David echoed, his brows furrowed as he tried to recall their interactions, to think of what Lee had been doing, what had been differently lately. He really was rubbish at this.   
  
“I started to think you didn’t actually like me, really.”  
  
“I’m sorry I never noticed,” David apologised sincerely. Lee waved a hand dismissively, offering a smile of reassurance.  
  
“It’s fine. We got here in the end.”  
  
“And uh, where is here? What… Where do we stand, what are we?”  
  
“Do we have to decide that right now?” Asked Lee, shifting on the couch, closing the already small distance between them, so their legs brushed, and again David felt a pleasant jolt at the touch. He could get used to that, he thought. He looked up from where their bodies met, found Lee’s face _much_ closer than it had been before. Their eyes met, and David hated the way he felt winded all of sudden, how it felt like all the air had been knocked from his chest.  
  
“I suppose not,” he replied breathily, his gaze flittering over Lee’s face, taking in his features, appreciating them in a way he’d never been allowed to before. Then Lee was moving again, leaning in, lips pressing against David’s own, and if he’d felt breathless before, then this was something else entirely.  
  
The kiss was fuelled with years of emotion, with all the tension which had grown between them over time. David had no idea why he’d ever denied himself this. Lee’s lips were soft against his, insistent but not too demanding, trying to savour the moment. It was David, surprisingly, who tilted his head, deepened the kiss, let his tongue push into Lee’s mouth and find out what they’d really been missing out on. Lee had had every intention of taking it slow, but David’s impatience, their tongues meeting and curling around each other, had him groaning into the kiss, clutching at David’s shirt and dragging him closer. He wasn’t sure how long they stayed that way, growing more and more passionate until eventually they really were lost for breath, and they parted, gasping quietly for air.  
  
David looked a mess, his hair ruffled where Lee’s hand had been buried in it, his shirt untucked, his cheeks flushed and his eyes wide. He looked fucking incredible. Lee imagined he was in a similar state of disarray himself, but couldn’t find it in him to care.  
  
“That was amazing,” David murmured, offering a shy smile.  
  
“Worth the wait then?” Lee teased.  
  
“Undoubtedly,” replied David, void of the humour which had been present in Lee’s voice just moments before. He was really serious about this, then.  
  
“We could move this into the bedroom?” Lee offered suddenly, the bold suggestion surprising even himself a little. He blamed the booze in his system. “Unless you want to keep making out on the couch like a couple of randy teenagers.”  
  
“The bedroom sounds like a good idea,” David agreed, and he got to his feet as Lee did, allowed himself to be led down the hall to Lee’s bedroom. He didn’t have much time to appreciate the unfamiliar space this time, as Lee was kissing him again as soon as he’d turned the light on, grabbing David by the waist and leading him backwards until his legs hit the bed and they fell down, limbs tangled together and still kissing, hands roaming and breathing heavy, smiling at their fall, how great this felt. As far as both men were concerned, they’d missing out on a lot by being silent about their feelings for one another until now, and now David and Lee fully intended to start making up for lost time tonight.


End file.
